Tamworth TAFE: 1989-90
For now I think I have covered the best of those creative & learning years in Queenscliff. I’m sure I’ve missed heaps and as I type I remember all the machine applique that I did too (mostly on children’s clothing) and haven’t added. So there may be a few more posts for the late 80’s yet!
However, eventually the time came when we had to say a fond farewell to the Bellarine Peninsular and move on. Away from the Victorian coast and out far into NSW northern slopes & plains. Yes, Tamworth and country music’s great champion.
We settled in well and enjoyed the companionship of a close knit community there too. This was our first experience of living in a large, self-supporting country town. The children added a number of outdoor activities including horse riding, soccer and BMX biking to their list of must do sports. I went back to school.
The Tamworth TAFE offered a two year Commercial Needlecraft course and this presented me with a couple of exciting opportunities. First was the chance to explore a wide range of textile crafts and techniques with expert tutors. Secondly, I had a chance to see if I could earn a living from a hobby I was passionate about. More on that later!
So it was back to school. This course meant I had little time to explore my own work (as it were) with a demanding schedule and rigorous assessment. In order to complete the course in two years, each semester we had to complete (over a period of 18 weeks) a staggering list of core subjects and at least two electives. Assessment was by reference book, class exercises and, for the electives, a major work.
We made up reference books for each subject. It contained course notes & exercises, illustrations & diagrams, our own notes and any material we were able to source on our subject such a newspaper clippings, samples, interview notes etc. Presenting this in a jumble was not on the cards either as we were also assessed on clarity of content and layout of work.
Class exercises were also assessed. We were allocated marks based on planning, possession of appropriate equipment & materials and of course on our ability to coordinate colour, threads, fabrics, stitches and design details.
I couldn’t wait to start….
For now I think I have covered the best of those creative & learning years in Queenscliff. I’m sure I’ve missed heaps and as I type I remember all the machine applique that I did too (mostly on children’s clothing) and haven’t added. So there may be a few more posts for the late 80’s yet!
However, eventually the time came when we had to say a fond farewell to the Bellarine Peninsular and move on. Away from the Victorian coast and out far into NSW northern slopes & plains. Yes, Tamworth and country music’s great champion.
We settled in well and enjoyed the companionship of a close knit community there too. This was our first experience of living in a large, self-supporting country town. The children added a number of outdoor activities including horse riding, soccer and BMX biking to their list of must do sports. I went back to school.
The Tamworth TAFE offered a two year Commercial Needlecraft course and this presented me with a couple of exciting opportunities. First was the chance to explore a wide range of textile crafts and techniques with expert tutors. Secondly, I had a chance to see if I could earn a living from a hobby I was passionate about. More on that later!
So it was back to school. This course meant I had little time to explore my own work (as it were) with a demanding schedule and rigorous assessment. In order to complete the course in two years, each semester we had to complete (over a period of 18 weeks) a staggering list of core subjects and at least two electives. Assessment was by reference book, class exercises and, for the electives, a major work.
We made up reference books for each subject. It contained course notes & exercises, illustrations & diagrams, our own notes and any material we were able to source on our subject such a newspaper clippings, samples, interview notes etc. Presenting this in a jumble was not on the cards either as we were also assessed on clarity of content and layout of work.
Class exercises were also assessed. We were allocated marks based on planning, possession of appropriate equipment & materials and of course on our ability to coordinate colour, threads, fabrics, stitches and design details.
I couldn’t wait to start….
 |
| Our basement made the perfect studio. Photo by my MIL |
Needless to say, not all the work we
completed on the course was relevant to my P&Q habits, and although
interesting work, I won’t be posting up every detail. Most of my binders disappeared, albeit only a
couple of years ago, when I finally started to clean up my garden shed to give
me room to work.
(As an aside, I’ve decided to cover my two years in Tamworth by the various groups or organisations I belonged to. It seems easier that way and the flow of work easier to see.)
(As an aside, I’ve decided to cover my two years in Tamworth by the various groups or organisations I belonged to. It seems easier that way and the flow of work easier to see.)
